1st quarter fundraising efforts set stage for strong campaign season

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) - The 2014 elections may be mid-term, but one political professor says it's more like a presidential campaign when it comes to fundraising.

Between January and March of this year, Representative Rick Nolan, a first term Congressman, took in $266,000 in donations. His biggest challenger, Minnesota businessman Stewart Mills, pulled in just over $203,000.

In overall campaign donations so far, Nolan has a $199,000 advantage over the Republican candidate.

In the race for US Senate, Senator Al Franken pulled in $2.7 million in the 1st quarter of 2014. He currently has $5.9 million dollars in hand.

Leading Republican challenger, businessman Mike McFadden, reported he's taken in $600,000 dollars so far this year.

A Political Science professor at UMD says the dollars being spent trickle down from the top.

"Even though the money is being spent and being aimed at Senator Franken, the same voters that turn out to vote against Sen. Franken will vote against Governor Dayton, against Jen Schultz in the 7A Minnesota House seat, against any democrat on the ticket," said Cynthia Rugeley, assistant professor of political science at UMD.

A lot of the money raised will be put toward the political ads you see on television. Rugeley said the money being spent ensures that the right voters hit the polls in November.